Ciabatta

2 x mixing bowls and large baking tray

CIABATTA SPONGE
250g Doves Farm Organic Strong White Bread Flour
½ tsp Doves Farm Quick Yeast
½ tsp sugar
200ml tepid water

CIABATTA DOUGH
175ml tepid water
250g Doves Farm Organic Strong White Bread Flour
½ tsp Doves Farm Quick Yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
flour, for dusting
oil, for rubbing

220°C, Fan 200°C, 425°F, Gas 7

Ciabatta Sponge

1. Put the flour, yeast and sugar into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add the water and stir into a slack dough.
3. Invert a large bowl over the paste and leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

Ciabatta Dough

1. Add the water to the ciabatta sponge and stir into a thick batter.
2. Add the flour and yeast and stir to combine.
3. While still craggy and lumpy, sprinkle on the salt and continue mixing.
4. Using your hands, gather everything together into a sticky mass of dough.
5. Knead the dough in the bowl, or on a work surface, for 100 presses. Avoid adding flour if possible.
6. Sprinkle the oil over the dough, run a spatula around the outside of the dough and turn it over a couple of times so the dough mass is covered in oil.
7. Invert a large bowl over the dough bowl and leave it in a warm place for the dough to double in size, which will take about 1-2 hours.

Ciabatta Stretching

1. Rub a little oil onto your fingers, pick up the far side of the dough, pulling and stretching it up as far as it will go, then fold it forward onto itself.
2. Turn the dough a quarter to the left or right.
3. Repeat the action of lifting and stretching the dough then folding back onto itself another four times, turning the dough after each stretch.
4. Tuck the edges of the dough under to make a ball of dough sitting in the bowl.
5. Cover with an upturned mixing bowl and leave until roughly double in size, 1-2 hours.

Shaping

1. Rub some oil around the inside of large baking tray or insert a baking liner.
2. Dust the worksurface liberally with flour.
3. Gently tip the dough onto the flour dusted surface and sprinkle it with flour.
4. Without pressing down on the dough, gently shape it into a rectangle.
5. Cut the dough in half to make two long rectangles.
6. Tuck the dough under itself all around the two rectangles.
7. Gently lift the ciabatta rectangles onto the prepared tray, keeping them apart.
8. Invert a large bowl over the ciabatta and leave to rest for 35 minutes.
9. Pre-heat the oven.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes.